Boondi (bundi) Ladoo

Boondi Ladoo is a great, mouth watering snack-time dessert and is a must have at all special occasions all over India. Boondis are very small, round deep fried balls that have been soaked in fragrant sugar syrup. After soaking, the syrup is drained and the syrup infused boondi are formed into balls (ladoos).

This recipe makes 8 ladoos.

Ingredients:

1 cup gram flour (besan)

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon water adjusted as needed

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 tablespoon sliced almonds

6 green cardamom pods (ilaichi)

Oil to deep fry

Utensils:
Perforated Spoon, Skimmer, or Ladle:
The critical part of boondi making is to use the right kind of utensil for the batter to drop through the holes into the hot oil to form the little pearl shaped fried balls. To accomplish this you need to use a flat skimmer, strainer or perforated ladle that has several round holes on the surface, each about the size of a whole black peppercorn.

Candy Thermometer: Use this to measure the temperature of the sugar syrup at the “half thread” stage of boiling.

Method

Crack open the cardamom pods and remove the seeds. Crush the seeds and keep aside.

Put the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. When the syrup comes to a boil, turn the heat down to medium and stir to dissolve the sugar. Let it simmer until the syrup is about half thread consistency or 220 degrees on the candy thermometer.

Mix the gram flour with water to make a smooth pancake-like batter or slightly thicker than dosa batter.

Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium high heat. The frying pan should have at least 1 1/2 inches of oil. Tip: To test if the oil is the right temperature, drop a pinch of batter into the oil; if it rises immediately without changing color then the oil is ready to start frying the

Hold the skimmer about 1 to 1 1/2 inches above the oil over the center of the frying pan with one hand. With your other hand pour some of the batter onto the skimmer to cover all of the holes without spilling over the edge of the skimmer. Tip: if you hold the skimmer higher than 11/2 inches above the oil boondi will not be round.

The batter will start dropping through the holes into the oil. If the batter doesn’t drop right away through the holes, pour the batter on the skimmer back into the batter bowl, mix a little more water to the batter and start again. Drop enough boondi into the oil so they just cover the surface of the oil in frying pan in a single layer

Fry them until the sound of sizzling stops and boondis are light gold in color but not crispy! Lift the boondi out of the oil with a slotted spoon (this allows excess oil to drip back into the frying pan) and put them directly into the warm syrup and mix.*

Before making the next batch of boondi, wipe clean the skimmer. This helps to keep the boondi round.

Repeat the process of making boondi and adding to the syrup with rest of the batter. You may have to adjust the heat in between making boondis.

When finished frying the boondi, let them soak in the syrup for few minutes.

Add the crushed cardamom seeds and sliced almonds to the syrup.

Now drain off the excess syrup.

If the boondis are still hot, let them sit only until they are warm enough to handle – don’t let them to cool off. If the boondis become cold you will not be able to form them into ladoos.

To make the ladoos, scoop up some of the boondi mixture into your palm with a spoon. Gently squeeze the mixture between both palms to shape into a round ball about the size of a golf ball. As you are squeezing some of the syrup will come out. You can make the ladoo larger or smaller if you have a preference.

As you finish making each ladoo, put it on a plate and continue on to make the next ladoo.

As the Ladoos cool to room temperature they will become firm but they should still be moist.

Ladoos will keep at room temperature in a covered container for up to 10 days and for one month in the refrigerator.

Tips

If the syrup is not of the right temperature, you will not be able to form the ladoos.

If the boondis cool down to room temperature before being shaped into balls, the sugar will crystallize.

If you are not able to make ladoos, don’t worry. You can still enjoy them as “meethi boondi” or sweet boondi.

*If you like the boondi for raita or making some other salty snack don’t add to the syrup.

I made these boondi today. Taste is very nice. But I saw that once boondis have cooled down, they sugar coated on boondis are crystalised and my boondis look dry and not glazed like we see it in store bought boondis. Any suggestions for that?

Hi
I just made the boondi it came out so good ,thank you manjula s much for your recipe,I watch most of your videos and cook for my family….
I couldn’t make the round balls since the sugar syrup I made was not of exact thick consistency bit I relished the taste lets c wat my hubby will have to say….waiting for him.my daughter 5 year old emmmjoooyed i! Thank you soooooooo much manjula

I started watching your cooking vedios for last 3-4 weeks and just love it. It has become everyday ritual to watch atleast 3-4 receipes. Best part in your cooking is that you make it sound so simple, even the dishes that are considered difficult to make, no wonder my 5.5 years old daughter is also so fond of watching your vedios and the other day she told me how to make samosas step by step 🙂

Thank you Aunty, It was great fun to make & Boondi Ladoos, Also I believe with gr8 teacher like you no one can go wrong. In India I never use to make such sweets at home as we easily get with lot of option, but i can’t find here in USA & i saw your video & I made it well enough.
Thanks a lot for sharing.

hi manjula your receipes are good enough in encouraging andmotivating. continue your hard work in promoting the young generations to know about the traditional pakwans.i would like to know the making of mysore pak a traditional dish of the south india using the candy thermometer.thanks

Hi aunty,um from holland…n i’ve never done any cooking bfr marg..so once thought to make rasgulla n i haapen to see ur video,they turned out pretty good.I like the way you explain smallest precaution to b taken..which I don’t see in other videoes..now I’ve to see your video for anything I plan to cook…you explain things like a mother.May god bless u..
regards
minaxi 🙂

Thanks alot Manjulaben for this fantastic recipe.I tried this recipe today. It tasted excellent, my husband ,daughter and my 14 years old son liked it very much.and one of my Chinese friend likes your website.she loves Indian food.

Thank you for sharing this recipe. I tried this recipe today. It tasted excellent, my husband and my daughter liked it very much. But my boondhis were flat circles not spherical. Can you please help me how to correct this? I have tried many of your recipes and succeeded in the first attempt. All the credit goes to you and ur cooking and teaching skills. Thanks a lot.

Hello Maam,
You are an awsome cook and your style of cooking makes it the easiest thing in the whole world. I had made Rasgullas earlier but they always turned out to be hard or cracked and God only knows why I use to add Maida (Little bit) to the mixture, Anyways when I tried your way they turned out to be Absolutely super… Thank you….

Tomorrow I am planning to try Boondi Ladoo, so just wanted to know if I can use plane readymade boondi and soak in suger syrup and later try to bind them ?

Thanks for that demo. Great instructions easy to follow. I look forward to trying them out soon. I haven’t been able to “eat” boondi ladoo since I had them lovely ones from Tirupathi. I do miss them heaps.. I’m also looking for a recipe, with intructions preferably, for adirasam.
Thanks again.

Hi auntyji
thank you so much for sharing all your cooking knowledge with everyone, i’m not indian but i luv indian food, especially sweets so i’ve tried quite a lot of your recipes and all have worked perfectly, it is wow that God made such a nice person as you!!
Thank you sooo much again and God bless you!!

Thanks alot Manjulaben for this fantastic recipe. My son (he is 5 years old) loves bundi laddoos. so when I’ll serve him hand made boondi laddoos I am sure he is going to dance with joy… once again thanks a ton…. hats off to you.

You’ll probabaly laugh at this, Manjula aunty but I’m accessing your website sitting right here in India. Honestly, of all the multiple recipes for a single dish that I used to look out for, yours are simply wonderful – considering that you even anticipate where a learner could go wrong. I have to take this opportunity to thank you for the sincere tips that you incorporate in both, your videos and the text of the recipes. Having tried out your version of “Gajrela”, now I look up your site for advice pertaining to any culinary issue. For eg right now I was searching for any recipe that mentioned how sugar syrups ( the crystalizing kind) the are to be tested and whether they can be reused. Do reply or at least guide me as to where I can find what I need.

I tried this boondi ladoo ( I didn’t have the skimmer. I bought just for trying this recipe).
My sugar syrap was so much boondis are little.
I followed exactly the same steps written by you.

I don’t have anything to measure how hot the syrap should be. I boiled for 8 minutes. But that wasn’t sufficient. Next time i should boil more so that syrap will become thick enough to make ladoos. It came out like a big sugar halwa containing here and there some boondis (ha ha ha) like almonds/raisins in halwa.

Any way Thanks for the recipe. I will try again next time to get ladoos exactly like in your videos.

manjula, ur just too good , better than any oif the other indian chefs out there. I made ur boondhi ladoos and my husband finished them in 3 days !!! I love ur site. ur an excellent cook. Can u teach us how to make sev as we dont get it here in Australia and I love making ragada pattice and bhel.
Id appreciate if u cud share this recipe with us.

hello aunty, what the other options to check the sugar syrup? I want to make a ladoo today and i dont have candy thermometer.can you reply me Please. i tired all most all your recipes.. and it came out really good the way you saw us is very simple.. and it inspire me to cook. Thank you soo much & Happy Diwali to you and your Family.

Try to buy a candy thermometer. It will be the most accurate. But in the meantime, without a thermometer you can test for the “thread stage” if, when a little of the hot sugar syrup is dropped into a bowl of cold water, the syrup turns into a very soft thread, it is in the thread stage. This means that it’s temperature is somewhere between 230 and 235 degrees Fahrenheit.

Hi, Jaya
thanks.. for your reply i used your method and the ladoo came out very good. I just got married this is my frist diwali with his family. my husband was very impressed with my cooking .. credit.. goes to you and Manjula aunty i guess i should tell him now.. who help me .. lol………
thanks agin.. happy diwali & happy new year.. to you and your family.

Hello Manjula ji,
I tried your laddu recepi and they came out great. I made them for a party at my house. All your recepies are shown in a very simple way easy to follow.
You look like a traditional Indian lady. You have done very well for yourself. Congratulations for your achievements.
Thank you for all your recepies.

Hi Aunty, I am a big fan of urs:) I tried this ladoo twice and it came awesome. But when I tried to double the quantity I was not able to form ladoos and have to consume them as Boondhis itself…Can you please tell me if I should have looked for a change in temperature for the syrup? Thanks a ton….Gayathri

hi pinu… bundi ladoo & motichur ladoo are made the same way but the motichoor one’s boondi are very very small and is made with skimmer with smaller holes, which you can buy in any indian store. hope it helps.

I made mini boondi laddoos y’day following your recipe and the laddoos came out perfectly well!! My hubby enjoyed it and said they tasted more like the ones we get in shops. Thanks very much for all your recipes. Keep up the good work.

Hi Manjula aunti
I had tried to make bundi ladoo which is all time favorit for all of my family .I faced one problem with bundi ladoo which is shape of bundi I did what you told me I took the same skimmer i tried the better thick and thin but as soon as i put the bundi in to fry pan (kadhai) they become lumps and gather at same place they dont seperates and dont come out well i tried to maintain heat but still i didnt get correct result .Please help me. I and my family longing to eat ladoos shown by you .
Thanks
Ritu

Hi Manjula Aunty…I am a big fan of yours…I tried most of your dessert recipes..And they are so perfect to the extent that my husband never wants to eat store bought sweets:) Thank you so much for this ladoo recipe…It came awesome and I have done these 2 times within 2 weeks!!!

Hi Manjula Aunty.
Since I moved to Atlanta and not Working any more..have started experimenting new things at home.Saw ur recipe videos and have made most of them…Ur Recipes are to the perfection they turn out as Expected. Thank you Very much.
Have u ever tried making Ghevar.If yes then please share the Video.
I have made it once….the taste was amazing but the shape was not so pleasant.

hello manjulaji
i have a skimmer but it has smaller holes than the one that you have. Can I still use that to make laddoo? Do I have to do something to the batter ( make it thicker or thinner)? please let me know so i can make it.
thank you

Thank you very much from bottom of my heart for very simple and amazing recipes. I really appreciate your and your partner’s( how helps you to make these all videos) hard work to make these all videos. Thanks again, and your a great cook.

Hi Sindhu,
You can’t know without the thermometer. The boiling syrup looks the same at 210 degrees as it does 230, so there is not visual way to tell the difference. Only the thermometer can tell you that the syrup has reached the one thread or 230 degree mark.

Hopefully you can locate a candy thermometer either in a store or on-line.
Jaya

Just one word for you & your recipes “Mindblowing”……..Thanks a lot for wonderful recipes with video. You don’t believe that now i can try any recipe from your site without any fear. You are doing a great job. Thanks once again & God Bless you. Take care. bbye

Thank you so much for all the wonderful recipes and videos. You are a gift, and I think your food is so delicious, and your demonstrations just take the fear away, and make me want to try new things. I did not know that there were two different types of Ladoos, but I think my favorite is the Boondi Ladoo. You should make a book with all your recipes. I know I would buy one, and they would make nice gifts. Thank you for all your efforts!

hi, thnak you for the recipe of bengali rasagulla. I am going to try it out tomorrow. in the meantime can you clarify if the rasgullas have to kep in the presurre cokker till the whistle goes off (and if so till how many whistles) or only till 7 minutes. thnks, mamta

Thank you so much for the boondi ladoo recipe. I noticed the recipe right after writing to you once again to request it. Thank you so much. I shall try it as soon as I am able to. Thank you once again, and your a great cook.

thanx manjulaji for both recipes.i want to ask one thing if we want to make boondi for raita n want to store them then what to do.bcoz if we buy from market they remain crispy for long time.only besan boondi does not remain crispy.what else is to be added to make raita boondi crispy n in what proportion n can be stored. thanx i know u always give response.

Hello Auntyji
This recipe looks great. i tried today but failed. I think i have fried the Boondi till crisp. once again i will try to perfect it. I have one question. i don’t have the thermometer with me, so how to check the half thread consistency? i felt my syrup is a bit watery, but on cooling it became thick. please tell me the technique.
Thank You

hello aunty,
i m palak shah & i m living in MIAMI ,FLORIDA.
thank u so much give us a nice receipe, & i love boondi ladoo, i love so much.
& really ur all receipe is very understable & vry easy receipe.
we are jain & we don’t eat onions,garlic & potatos so your receipe is very heplful to us. i made almost every receipe.
thank u aunty & hope in future you give us nice & more receipe videos. i m waiting ur new receipe.

Random Recipes

Recent Posts

Testimonials

Thank you so much Manjula! I made a very yummy (nut free) Ras Malai a while back, I never thought I could do it. Now I am addicted to your recipes and easy to follow videos. Thank you for helping me learn how to cook my favorite foods! You are wonderful! Namaste-Kate-Ashley S.